Ferrari Portofino
Ferrari have announced the Portofino and this car replaces the California T. The Portofino was shown at the Frankfurt motor show last week and it is important to the company as the California accounted for 20-25 per cent of all Ferrari sales.
The engine, although based on the California T, receives a major overhaul. New pistons, conrods, intake system and exhaust manifolds have gained 39bhp, giving a the total output of 592bhp at 7500rpm, and torque of 560lb ft available at 3000rpm.
0- 62mph comes up in 3.5sec and 124mph in 10.8sec – 0.1 and 0.4sec quicker than the Cali T. Despite the lower drag co-efficient the Portofino still tops out at 199mph
The car also benefits from Ferrari’s E-Diff3, an electronic limited slip differential that actively distributes torque to either of the rear wheels as it senses is appropriate. At 1664kg the Portofino is about 70kg lighter than the California T, and the weight distribution split is 46-54.
The 812 Superfast has a front-mid-mounted 6.5-litre V12 engine, maybe the last, that has a gargantuan 800hp at 8,500rpm. This is a naturally aspirated engine with not a turbo-charger in sight and the 812 has the same output as found in Ferrari’s La Ferrari.
80% of the 526lb ft of torque is available from 3,500rpm onwards, with the rest from 7,000rpm. The 812 can hit 60mph from a standing start in just 2.9-seconds before reaching a a top speed in excess of 211mph.
Despite the front-engined layout the 812 Superfast should have handling and roadholding to match its mid-engined siblings. The car’s specification includes Ferrari’s Side Slip Angle Control, as well as a system called Virtual Short Wheelbase. It’s been developed from the F12tdf’s four-wheel-steering system.